Nina Bhatia, Managing Director, Centrica Connected Home (Hive), provided insights to Parks Associates' analyst team regarding how they've created a family of connected devices and services that turn a home into a smart home. By knowing their customers' needs, and what driving forces encourage smart home integration, helps Hive to better serve their customers and ease their fears about integrating connected home products and services.

Martin Heckmann, Director, Emerging Business at Chamberlain Group Inc, Chamberlain

Thomas Rockmann, VP Connected Home, Deutsche Telekom AG

Marcus Scheiber, CEO, ROC-Connect

Q. What do consumers fear most when adopting smart home products and services?

A. Our research tells us that consumers want simplicity and ease of use from start to finish, from downloading the app to choosing the products for their home and operating them on a daily basis to knowing that intermittent failures can be monitored and fixed by credible experts, quickly. In fact, 85 per cent of customers we surveyed recently said Hive is a simpler way of controlling their home. With our customer centric approach, we understand the need for seamless combined tech and service, on a reliable platform, delivered by a trusted and well-known brand. We bring our customers more than a device but an experience of peace of mind by incorporating thoughtful yet design conscious functionality with the integration of devices, data, analytics and physical service.

Q. Name the three top drivers for adoption of connected home products and services.

A. Hive customers want to know we understand their needs, that we see the use cases and benefits of smart products and services that are value for money, that create tangible differences in their lives and can work brilliantly together with what they already have.